Material handling processes are typically used to manipulate a plurality of parts in one or more stages thereof to transform the parts from a less desired state toward a more desired state. Multiple processes may be interrelated to perform successive manipulations to produce a desired final product. Typically, each of the multiple processes has a different throughput capacity and/or has a different processing cycle time per part or per a grouping of parts. Throughput and cycle time are typically a function of the available processing space for given stage, e.g., the space available to manipulate parts at a particular stage. Recent material handling trends, conventionally labeled as “lean manufacturing” and/or “just in time manufacturing,” attempt to deliver an appropriate number of parts between successive stages and successive processes at the point in time when the parts can be manipulated by the successive stage or process. As such, these trends attempt to reduce over production of parts and stockpiling associated with low cycle time manipulations and/or attempt to reduce shortages associated with high cycle time manipulations. Additionally, it is desirable to reduce the processing time and resources required to manipulate parts in an attempt to lower the handling cost per part while increasing productivity.
These material handling processes often include the movement of the parts between stages and/or processes. The parts are typically supported on parts carriers for such movement. Although, the parts may be arranged on a parts carrier in numerous different configurations, many factors may affect the arrangement of the parts, such as part weights, limits of the material handling processing space, access to the parts for manipulation, safety in transporting, and/or other handling factors known in the art. The arrangement of parts on the parts carriers may have significant effects on the throughput capacity and cycle time of a stage and/or process.
Typically, operators individually select the arrangement of parts on the parts carriers and either manually or robotically place the parts on the parts carriers based on non-uniform weighing of factors and/or inconsistent judgment criteria which may lead to inefficient loading of the parts carriers. For example, a material handling process may be inefficiently operated because the parts carriers may be loaded with too low a density of parts or because the parts carriers may be loaded with too high a density. As a result, a material handling process may be capable of outputting more parts than that being produced, the material handling process may inadequately manipulate the parts, and/or the material handling process may overproduce certain parts and underproduce other parts.
U.S. patent application Publication 2004/0074823 (“the '823 application”) filed by Brust et al. discloses a system for determining pallet case configurations. The '823 application discloses a control system configured to specify arrangements of cases for placement on pallets and direct a material handling system to physically place the cases on the pallets. The '823 application further discloses that the cases may be categorized within an inventory management system based on physical attributes of the cases. The control system receives an input specifying the number and type of cases to be arranged and determines a plurality of layer configurations based on the physical attributes. The control system further determines a height and volume that a pallet would occupy if loaded and compares these dimensions with predetermined thresholds.
Although the '823 application may arrange cases on a pallet as a function of individual case dimensions and pallet thresholds, it may not optimally load cases with respect to a desired throughput. For example, constructing stable pallets with desired arrangements of cases does not necessarily evaluate the importance of the threshold values and the corresponding impact thereof on other stages or processes. Additionally, the '823 application may not evaluate the impact a particular threshold value has on the throughput and/or cycle time to determine, arrange, and construct a pallet.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.